ENVIRONMENTS FOR CHILDREN OR CARS? ON CHILDREN'S ROAD SAFETY . PROCEEDINGS INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON NEW WAYS AND MEANS FOR IMPROVED SAFETY, TEL AVIV, ISRAEL, FEBRUARY 20-23, 1989

The principal aim of the study is to investigate how children, parents, teachers and road safety officials experience and interpret the children's traffic environment. Interviews were carried out with 90 children aged 8, 11 and 14, of which one third live in an inner city area, one third in a suburban one-family housing area, and one third in a suburban traffic separated housing area. The children's parents answered a questionnaire, and the children's teachers were interviewed on their views on the children's traffic environment and on road safety education. In addition, interviews were conducted with officials at national and regional levels, whose area of responsibility encompasses school and traffic. The results clearly demonstrate different living conditions with regard to traffic safety for those children living in traffic segregated areas in comparison with those in traffic integrated areas. Although society has recognized the vulnerability of children and other unprotected road users in the goals laid down for road safety work, this attitude has, so far, not been reflected in the form of a planned traffic environment adapted to children's needs. (TRRL)